The Saxon Cities of Transylvania: Sighisoara

The fortified citadel of Sighisoara is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is perhaps most famous for being Dracula’s birthplace. Coming on the train, it is a dramatic sight to see the citadel rise on a hill in a picturesque valley, with the spires of churches and a clock tower rising from within. However, compared to both Sibiu and Brasov, Sighisoara was just lacking something intangible. It lacked a certain energy, perhaps because of its small size. The hostel I stayed in was mostly empty and the town in the citadel was also quite empty. Really, I felt that an hour was sufficient to see all the sights in Sighisoara. While very pretty, it just didn’t have that magical draw for me that other cities did.

Fortified Churches: Sibiu

I also visited some fortified churches by bike while in Sibiu, another Transylvanian city. The first church I visited took me on a lovely bike rood through the forest to a small village called Cisnadioara. In the distance, I could see a stone structure at the top of a small hill at the edge of the village. The church certainly was in a dramatic setting. After the climbing the hill, I entered the simple church, which was largely bare inside. It was surrounded by a crumbling stone wall that ringed the hill. At the top of the hill I could see my next destination, the larger town of Cisnadie.

However, when I arrived at the massive church, it was closed and would not open for another hour. Hungry and impatient, I decided to return to Sibiu and also decided to tack on a third church to the day’s sightseeing. The third church was in a northern suburb of Sibiu. After a short lunch, I rode there and was disheartened to find that this church was closed as well. I don’t really think that many tourists would want to visit anyway. The town was primitive, with gravel roads and the stench of manure permeating the air.

The Saxon Cities of Transylvania: Sibiu

I was surprised that I liked Sibiu more than Brasov. While it does not have the dramatic natural scenery of Brasov, the city is grander and the three central squares are lovely. Like Brasov, the city had many tourists and many outdoor restaurants. But the city felt a little less like a theme park. There were parts of the old town that tourists did not even venture to.

Sibiu also had a surprisingly good museum, the Brukenthal Museum. Despite Sibiu’s small size, the painting had some great paintings by early Dutch and German masters All of these paintings are located in a former palace.

Apparently Sibiu was completely spruced up a few years ago when it was the ‘European Culture Capital’. The effort shows. Sibiu is one of the most attractive small cities I have been to in Europe, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

Fortified Churches: Brasov

Transylvania is filled with fortified churches. These are basically churches with a wall built around them to protect against attack. When these were built, there was a constant fear of invasion from the Ottomans and Tatars, thus the churches were built with protection in mind.

Yesterday I rented a bicycle and took a trip to two fortified churches just outside Brasov. The first one at Prejmer, is a world heritage site, and was very unusual. The church itself was pretty standard, but the fortifications were unique. On the inside, facing the church, the walls had many doors with small rooms. I also went into the roof where I saw how they could repel invasions by shooting arrows from small holes in the walls.

The second church at Harman was a little bit different. I liked the church better, but the fortifications were simpler. There were only a few of the rooms built into the wall, and no big room like in Prejmer. While I haven’t been to the Fujian Tulou in China, the photos I have seen of them really remind me of these churches.

The Weird People you Meet in Hostels: Bucharest

Generally, the people that stay in hostels are young. Sometimes, if the hostel also offers private rooms, older people will also stay there. However, it is rare for a mature person to stay in dorms. It is clear why this is. Usually an older person will have enough money to stay in nicer accommodation. Dorms offer no privacy or comfort, and I often sleep poorly when staying in one due to people going to be late, being noisy, leaving the light on etc. If money was not a factor, I would probably stay in a hotel.

But, there is another factor that needs to be considered. If you are a solo traveller, hostels offer the benefit of meeting other people. This intangible benefit makes the choice of staying in a hotel (if money is not a factor) a little more difficult. With this information in mind, let us return to the question of the old in hostels. Assuming these old people are there for the social reason, why would they want to associate with the young? Or do they just not have much money?’

This is question I asked myself while staying in Bucharest. At the hostel there, an elderly Chinese man attached himself to me and seemed impervious to the social signs I made indicating that I did not want him to accompany me. He was irritating and odd, and even though I mostly ignored him, still spent some time with me. He first invited himself to a tour of the Palace of Parliament with me. That was ok, because he found someone else to talk to during the tour. He expressed interest in accompanying me to the art gallery after the tour, something I emphatically did not want. Thankfully, he said he wanted to eat afterwards and did not ask me to join him. I went to the art gallery in splendid isolation. That evening, back at the hostel, I ran into him and asked if he had gone to the art gallery after his lunch. No, he said. He said that he had eaten too much for lunch and ‘didn’t have time’. This answer puzzled me. We had left the parliament at 1:00. Did his lunch take the whole afternoon? Very strange.

The next day, he invited himself along with me to take the train to Brasov. We talked a little bit, but I’m sorry I didn’t inquire about what he did for a living. He told me lived in Ohio, and that was all I got. I should’ve tried speaking Chinese to him. He only went to Brasov for the day, so as soon as we arrived, we separated. I thought that was the last of him.

I was wrong. Although, I didn’t see him again, I did hear of him secondhand. At the hostel in Brasov, I met an Australian guy and we began talking about Bucharest. When he mentioned an odd 60-sometihng person staying at his hostel there, I immediately asked if it was the Chinese guy. It was! Apparently, he had tried to invite himself to go clubbing with the Australian at an ‘Indy club’, thinking it was an ‘Indian restaurant’. Needless to say, he bailed when he discovered it was the truth. But is inviting yourself to something really appropriate given the age difference? I don’t really think it is. You should try and at least have a good rapport with someone before suggesting doing something social together.

The Saxon Cities of Transylvania: Brasov

Until recently, Transylvania was a land populated mostly by ethnic Germans. It was only after the war and the rise of communism that most of them left. But there legacy still lives on in the form of the beautiful cities they built. In Transylvania, there are three main cities that form a ‘Saxon Triangle’ that forms the hub of tourist activity in the region. These three cities are Brasov, Sibiu and Sighisoara. In addition to these three ‘tourist’ cities, I also visited Medias, a city not on most itineraries. These cities will all be discussed over my next few blog postings.

This is perhaps the most touristy of the Saxon cities of Transylvania. While surrounded by a suburbia of unattractive apartment blocks, the center of Brasov is beautifully preserved and tourist friendly. The historical center is in a narrow valley flanked by two hills, one with huge ‘Brasov’ sign at the top, in imitation of the more famous sign in Hollywood. Tourists wander through the main tourist street and square, occasionally stopping to eat at one of the various restaurants with outdoor seating.

I liked Brasov a great deal. It was touristy, but not overrun, and there is lots to do there, mostly in the form of day trips. Sights around the city itself are limited. There is nothing I enjoy more during travel than sitting outside and having a meal surrounded by lovely buildings. This is something I could do in Brasov, although in many cases the food was disappointing.

The day trips around Brasov all involve castles, including Bran castle, which some claim is Dracula’s castle. In reality, he had nothing to do with it. The castle itself was disappointing. While it looks great from a distance, inside are just a bunch of uncomfortable rooms that are poorly lit.

Easter

Easter in Romania seems to be a big deal. I found out today that basically everything will be shut on Sunday and Monday – a bit of a concern for me given my limited time. I don’t want tourist attractions and restaurants to be shut down.

While I was having lunch in the square on Good Friday, a great bunch of old people came walking in as part of a religious procession. At the head of the procession, several men were carrying a cross. They were followed by a group of youth in while and a priest as well as various other important looking people. While I initially thought that people are more ‘devout’ here than in Canada, the age of the people in the procession dispelled those thoughts. I think that Easter here is now more like a holiday than a religious event.

For Easter itself, Romanians have a tradition involving candles. When they go to midnight services on Easter, they also bring a candle with them. During the service, the candle is lit and is to be taken home following the service. The goal is to maintain the flame all the way home. Apparently if the candle stays lit all the way home, a wish will come true.